January 2026 Was the Coldest in Austria’s Lowlands in Nine Years

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Austria experienced its coldest lowland January since 2017, according to the preliminary climate report released by Geosphere Austria. Mountain regions also saw their chilliest January since 2021. Despite the cold, much of the country remained relatively dry and sunny.

Climatologist Alexander Orlik of Geosphere Austria noted that January 2026 stood out sharply against recent decades. “Compared to the more recent past, January 2026 was significantly too cold. Around 40 years ago, however, these temperatures would have been considered fairly normal,” he explained.

Temperatures Well Below Recent Averages

In the lowlands, January 2026 was 1.7°C colder than the 1991–2020 climate average. Mountain areas recorded temperatures 0.6°C below that same benchmark. When compared with the older climate period of 1961–1990, the picture shifts: lowland temperatures were only 0.3°C below average, while mountain temperatures were actually 0.6°C above the long-term norm.

Looking at the full historical record, Orlik emphasized that January 2026 was far from extreme. Since measurements began in 1768, roughly half of all Januaries were colder and half were warmer. A similar balance appears in mountain records dating back to 1851.

Sharp Increase in Ice Days at Lower Elevations

The cold was particularly evident in the number of ice days—days that remain below freezing from morning to night. Below 500 meters, Austria saw 42% more ice days than the 1991–2020 average. Between 500 and 1,000 meters, the increase was 8%.

Regional differences were striking. Burgenland recorded 82% more ice days than usual, while Vorarlberg saw 2% fewer. Above 1,000 meters, the number of ice days was generally average to slightly above average.

Plenty of Sunshine—But Not Everywhere

Nationally, January delivered 25% more sunshine hours than the long-term average. The last time Austria saw a sunnier January was 2024, with a 39% increase.

However, sunshine was unevenly distributed. From Vienna through Burgenland to southern Styria, sunshine hours were 10–35% below the long-term average.

Dry Conditions and Low Snow Depths

January 2026 was also notably dry. Precipitation levels were 30% below the long-term average, similar to January 2025. Only January 2020 was significantly drier, with a 58% deficit.

The dry weather contributed to unusually low snow depths for January. Yet the number of days with snow cover remained normal or slightly above average in many regions because the persistent cold prevented snow from melting.

Examples include:

Eisenstadt: 19 snow-cover days (long-term average: 10)
Innsbruck: 19 snow-cover days (average: 19)
Klagenfurt: 20 snow-cover days (average: 18)

The combination of cold, sunshine, and dryness made January 2026 a meteorologically distinctive month—one that felt exceptional today but would have been unremarkable several decades ago.